The Smells!

Can you tell that I couldn't think of a title for this post at all?

I know, I know. Getting candles at Bath and Body Works is very cliché, but I got a free mini candle offer from Facebook and decided to redeem it and get some other things too.

The Salted Caramel mini candle and the candle tin were both 50% off. The Salted Caramel candle smells exactly like the drink from Starbucks. I love it and it is amazing for winter/fall.

The Forever Red eau de parfum is supposed to be $10, but since they're having a preview of it now and having an official release at a later date, the cost for the small bottle is $5. I am not going to try to describe the scent because I am horrible at it. You can read the description of all the notes here. I really like how it smells, but my friend doesn't. With anything that has a fragrance  I really recommend going to a store to smell this in person.

The Peach Bellini candle is the one I got for free. It smells sweet and wonderful. I'm probably going to wait for spring/summer to use this though.

Minnie Mouse Inspired Nails & Makeup

Surprise! This is what I look like. You can't see my full face clearly, but it's a lot more than what I've shown on this blog.

I volunteered at this event for one of my clubs last friday night and it was strongly recommended to dress up. I had Minnie Mouse ears, and so I decided to throw on stuff Minne Mouse - esque things for my costume. I basically just wore pink shorts, black sleeveless top, black leggings, and a pair of comfortable black flats.

I also painted my nails, which I'm very proud of even though I did mess up. I used a red nail polish from OPI and a white nail polish from Wet n' Wild. They weren't my nail polishes, and so I don't know their names. I also used a dotter to draw the bow, Mickey Mouse, and of course the polka dots.

For eyes, I used Coastal Scents' Go Palette in Beijing. It has really nice pink, red, and purple eyeshadows that were perfect. For the black nose, I used Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero and TheBalm's Eyeshadow in Serious. Any black eyeliner/shadow will work though.

I used three red lip products for my red lips. I know that sounds a lot, but I'll explain! I first used a red lip stain. I'm always worried about lipstick fading, and so I like to have a layer of lip stain under my lipstick to make sure a similar color will be there all day. The only stain I have right now is Benefit's Benetint. I then used MAC Viva Glam I all over my lips and also used my fingers to really push the color into my lips. The last product is Korres' Lip Butter in Wild Rose to make my lips feel a bit more hydrated. (I usually use this process whenever I wear red lips.)

Review & Swatches: MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick

MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick is described as a "intense brownish blue-red" on the MAC website and it has a matte finish. This lipstick contains 3 grams / 0.1 US. ounces and costs $15. The proceeds from the MAC Viva Glam line all goes to MAC AIDS Fund. 

This lipstick was on my wish list for the longest time and then my boyfriend got it for me as a gift. I was so excited to receive this. I wanted to take pictures before trying it on and it was so hard to wait to use it. 

Review: Disney Cinderella Collection by Sephora Compact Mirror

This compact mirror is from the Disney Cinderella Collection by Sephora. This is more of a rave than anything for this mirror. I probably shouldn't even call this a review because it is just a compact mirror.

Well, maybe not just a compact mirror. It is gorgeous. This Disney + Sephora collab includes a few other things, but this was the only thing I really wanted. 

Since most of the things can be seen, I'll just point out some things that aren't really noticeable in the pictures I've included. The middle of the front has a geometric pattern. It isn't noticeable, but it adds texture. 

The back comes with a kind of protectant that can be taken off. Underneath that protectant is the Disney copyright logo, but it is actually a sticker. I thought it was another sticker on top of the logo. I ended up taking that off too. 

The metal is very reflective and attracts a lot of fingerprints. There are so many fingerprints. I can't do anything about that, but it does make me sad. I'm just picky like that, though. 

The compact is very weighty, but it makes it feel very expensive and nice. 

Another thing that I love about this compact is that not only looks like a clock, but it opens like a pocket watch, too. The little knob that sticks out looks like out of those knobs on watches to adjust the time. It just needs to be pushed to open the compact.

One mirror is normal and the other is magnified. The normal side is engraved with the sentence "Time for your moment."

Final thoughts: I love this compact. I do not regret it at all. I have another small mirror, but it was a cheap mirror that broke a year after I got it. I am looking forward to carrying this everywhere with me.

Where to buy / Cost : Sephora for $20. I heard that it was released early for Beauty Insiders and then going to be released to the public at a later time, but I haven't found that information again. At the time this review was written, it is currently sold out though. Hopefully, Sephora will restock soon.

Click "read more" to see the pictures of this beautiful compact!

Review & Swatches: Maybelline Instant Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in 130 Medium

The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in 130 Medium contains 0.2 fl. oz. / 6.0 mL. This is a treatment concealer with goji berry and haloxyl. According to the packaging, this product is supposed to "instantly erases dark circles and fine lines and visibly diminishes puffiness."

The applicator is like a squishy foam like ball and you just push it onto the skin to deposit product on the undereye region. To make product come out, twist the red part to the left and you should hear some clicking. I was concerned about the applicator because I thought it was going to hold onto a lot of bacteria, but Maybelline says that the applicator is "protected with an anti-microbial system."

(For reference, I compared this to my MAC Select Sheer / Pressed powder in NC35 and the colors were very similar.)

Click "Read More" to see swatches and read how this product worked for me!

Review & Swatches: L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Waterproof Mascara in Black Noir

The L'oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara in Black contains 10 mL / .33 fl oz. of product. This review is for the waterproof version of this mascara.

The brush is similar to traditional brushes. The middle concaves in a little bit so that it fits and hugs the lashes a bit more. Excess mascara tends to collect on the tip of the brush, but I usually just swipe that off.

Click "Read More" to see the rest of the review and swatches!

Review: Caudalie Beauty Elixir

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir contains 30 mL for $18. According to the Caudalie website, this product is supposed to "smooth features, tighten pores, and give the complexion a burst of radiance." This product is basically a toner / facial mist that is filled with good things for your skin.

Click "Read More" for my thoughts on this product! 

Review: BeFine Exfoliating Cleanser

Befine Exfoliating Cleanser with Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond, and Oats is a facial scrub that turns into a gentle cleanser. This product contains 4 ounces / 120 mL.

The website claims -

This daily mini-facial for your skin melts away dirt and debris,instantly brightening and improving your skin's clarity.The delicious medley of brown sugar,crushed almonds and soothing oats gently removes damaged skin cells.This multi-tasking essential is a delight for your skin! 

Benefits: Removes Impurities and environmental stresses.Detoxifies and rejuvenates the skin for a healthy glow. Helps skin maintain optimal moisture balance. Provides natural anti-bacteria & antioxidant protection Calms,soothes & heals the skin.

This review is going to be a bit different than my other reviews. I'm going to have some of the pictures incorporated into the review instead of just having all of them at the end.

I have combination skin. My chin, cheeks, and jaw are all acne prone. My t-zone gets oily but the rest of my face is normal.

Let's start! Click "Read More" for the rest of the review.

Review & Swatches: MAC See Sheer

MAC Cosmetic's See Sheer Lipstick contains 3 grams / 0.10 US ounces is $15 dollars. It is a coral-pink color that can also lean red. There is some very very subtle gold micro-shimmer, but it doesn't show up on the lips. It has a lustre finish and lustres aren't one of the most pigmented lipsticks from MAC. I would say that it is semi-opaque and its color is buildable. When the color is built up, the lips have a "wet" look. It is very shiny and so I would recommend to skip the lip gloss. I noticed that the color allows some of my natural lip color to peek through. 

I actually got this product a few months ago, but I haven't gotten to the review until now. This color is a part of MAC's permanent lipstick range and isn't new, and so this review wasn't a priority for me. By putting off this review, I also got a lot of time to test out this product.

Review & Swatches: L'oreal Colour Caresse by Colour Riche in Sunset Angora

L'oral Colour Caresse by Colour Riche in Sunset Angora contains 2.9 grams / 0.10 ounces and is a coral that leans pink. The color on the bottom on the label is very close to the color of the product on my lips. The bullet looks more red-coral than what it looks like on the lips. I would even say that when it's worn on the lips, it looks like a milky pink with some orange in it. 

The packaging shows a strip of the product's color on the cap and everything is incased as a gold case that attracts fingerprints. The packaging also feels very light.

Click "Read More" to see te rest of the review and swatches!

Review & Swatches: Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous

Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous contains 2.7 grams / 0.095 ounces. It is a bright orange color with some very subtle microglitter that doesn't really show up. The shimmer is somewhat visible in direct sunlight, but it looks very pretty and like what I said, subtle. 

I already did a review of another Balm Stain in Crush that can be found here. The texture, smell, and wear is similar to Crush and so I won't go into detail on this blog post.

Click "Read More" to see swatches and details about the color.

Traveling for a Wedding! - Part two: Fashion and Jewelry

This is part 2! My post about what makeup and skincare I brought can be found here.

I wore the red dress for the ceremony and reception. It is a high low dress with the front a few inches above my knees. The top has a lace overlay. Red means good luck in asian cultures and so my mom and I thought that the red dress was very appropriate. I brought the cream dress in case I was going to go out with cousins, but I ended up not wearing it. It is pleated with a bubble hem. The straps part also has some flower details. I bought both of these dresses from Asos. I tend to buy a lot of things from Asos. Free shipping is my weakness.

I got these shoes from a thrift store. I wore them throughout the ceremony, but only for 2 hours of the reception. My feet were starting to hurt. I never wear heels, and so even these tiny heels hurt me. The material is like black satin.

The clutch I brought matched with my shoes. They were made out of similar material. The flats are foldaway flats from Dr. Scholls. I wore these after my feet started to hurt too much from the heels.

The ring on my ring finger is a double knotted ring I bought from a store on Etsy. My hands are small and Etsy is one of the few places that sell size 4 rings. 

The ring on my pointer finger is an interlocking ring I bought from my school's Vendor's Fair. They're both very simple and matched with everything.

My mom bought me this charm bracelet. When she told me the price, I was very shocked. It is a bit kiddish, but I still wear it.

This is another piece of jewelry my mom got for me. The necklace, pendant, and bracelet above are all made of white gold. I don't like gold because it seems too yellow on my skin.

These are some fabric flowers I put in my hair. The hair style I did was curls with one side pulled back. There were a lot of bobby pins and so I used these flowers to hide the bobby pins to make it look prettier.

Review & Swatches: MAC Fire Sign Lipstick

MAC Cosmetics Lipstick in Fire Sign is $15 and contains 3 grams / 0.10 US ounces. This lipstick is a limited edition shade from the Heavenly Creatures Collection. 

The color is a warm pink-red and has a lustre finish. Lustre basically means that the color isn't that pigmented and the more the color is built up, the more "wet" or shiny it looks. There is some micro shimmer in this product, but it is not that noticeable. The formulation and pink in this lipstick makes this red an everyday red and can brighten up your complexion. 

Traveling for a Wedding! - Part One: Makeup + Skincare

I recently went to a wedding in Southern California for my aunt. These are the makeup and skincare products that I brought. I took these pictures before I left and wrote this post after I came back to say what I used and did use. 

I chose mostly neutrals so that my makeup could match with anything I wanted to wear. I also wanted to bring things that would last a long time on my face because I knew I would not have a lot of time to touch up throughout the day.

My day started at 6 AM and ended at midnight.

This is part one of what I brought and part two is going to be more about what I wore on the date of the wedding.

Click "Read More" to see what I brought!

NUXE order + Review on the NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick

NUXE recently opened up their US Store and was offering free shipping and 20% off. I could not resist and decided to order something. I didn't want to get that many things and ended up just getting the Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick. I was going to get the pot version because I've been hearing so many good things about it, but it was so expensive even with the 20% off. I figured if I still wanted it, I could get it off of Amazon or the actual website. 

Along with my Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick, I recieved a sachet Creme Prodigieuse and  a Reve de Miel Face and Body Ultra-Rich Cleansing Gel. There was an option to get a deluxe sample of something and I got the Creme Prodigieuse. If I knew that I was going to get a sachet of it anyway, I should've gotten the dry oil that was part of the options. 

Click "Read More" for the review on the Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick and my thoughts on the Creme Prodigieuse!

Review & Swatches: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Stick in Black Cherry contains 0.15 oz. / 4.2 grams of product. I think the name of this lip stick really matches the color. It is a dark berry color (a warm reddish plum color) with a lot of shine. The packaging includes a clear window at the top to show what the color of the lip stick is.

Travel Makeup!

I'm going to Comic - Con this weekend and this is the makeup and skincare that I'm bringing.

In my UNII Palette: Inglot Blush #58, Inglot Eye Shadow #112R and #52. HiP Duo Eye Shadow in Energized. CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach. 

Lip Stick Holder with lip balm, bobby pins, and a band-aid. 

Maybelline Falsies Mascara. 

MAC See Sheer Lip Stick. 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance. 

Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Social. 

mark. Kissink in Red Siren. 

MAC Paint Pot in Indianwood

** I forgot to take a picture of it, but I'm also bringing a sample of Laura Mercier's Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Caramel.

Tools: Eyelash Curler. Tweezers. Eyebrow Spoolie.

Philosophy Hope In A Jar Moisturizer. The Body Shop's Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70. Refresh Tears Eye Drops. 

Review & Swatches: CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach

CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach contains 3 grams / 0.12 oz of product. The blush also comes with a brush. The brush is a bit prickly, but it is good to use in a pinch. I would describe this color as a muted pink with a bit of coral. If looked at really closely at the actual product, there is a bit of shimmer. This color brightened up my complexion and looks great for summer.

The CoverGirl website says -

Blush's basic rules – it has to be easy, and it has to look natural. That's Cheekers. Each portable mini-compact gives you a sheer blush that goes on to stay true and natural-looking for hours. It's the way to glow 

Read on for what I think about this blush and my swatches!

Review & Swatches: NYX Round Lipstick in Haute Melon

NYX Round Lip Stick in Haute Melon contains 4 grams / 0.14 oz. of product and is a bright pink/orange color. I would describe the bullet as a mix between a pink and orange highlighter. 

Don't be scared by the color of the bullet/bottom! It actually goes on quite sheer. It takes a few layers to actually get the color of the bullet. That could good or bad depending on what kind of color you're going for. I'm actually glad that it was sheer and buildable. The only other NYX Round Lip Stick that I have is in Snow White and that lip stick is very pigmented with one swipe. Because this lip stick goes on sheer, my natural lip color peeked through and affected the color of the lipstick. This looks more pink on me. 

De-potting: First Time Experience!

I recently depotted my L'oreal HiP Eye Shadow Duo in Energized and my CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach to put into my UNII Palette. I think the packaging for the L'oreal HiP Eye Shadow is very bulky and so I wanted to depot the eye shadow to get rid of the packaging. 

I've seen a lot of tutorials of depotting eye shadows, but I didn't find a lot for the L'oreal HiP Eye Shadows. I found one that was helpful, but it involved heat and I didn't want to use heat.

I don't want to call this a tutorial, and so I'll just call this my first experience with depotting with pictures of how I did it. 

What I used:

- Cotton Swabs

- Rubbing Alcohol

-  Blemish Extractor (This sounds gross, I know. Here's a link of what it looks like. If you don't have this, a knife would work. Or even a thin slanted tip stain-less steel object.)

- Towel / Paper to place under everything to avoid a mess

There are a lot of pictures and I'll put that and other details under the "Read More!"

Review & Swatches: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush contains 2.7 grams /  0.095 ounces of product. This product is a balm and a stain. The packaging is supposed to represent the color of the product, but it is only very close to the actual color. This product is a berry color. It's purple that leans red and like a burgundy color. In my opinion, this color is gorgeous. I love it. 

The packaging is made out of plastic and to reveal more product, all you have to do is twist the bottom. There's no sharpening needed! The packaging and product is similar to Clinique's Chubby Sticks and Tarte's Lipsurgence, but I can't compare because I don't have either of those products.

Click "Read More" for the full review and swatches! (:

Target Beauty Bag!

I signed up for Target's Beauty Bag about 2 months ago and I finally got it yesterday. I've looked at some other beauty blogs and I think I got mine pretty late. 

The bag and samples were all free. I just needed to provide my address and e-mail address in a certain time period to receive it.

This isn't really a review or swatches, but this post is just to show what was inside the bag. I found out about this bag from a friend's Facebook.

I really love the bag. It's pretty small, but it holds enough for my basic stuff. The color and pattern is so cute.

Top Left: Garnier Frutis Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner (Color Shield) samples. They both contain 0.34 fl. oz. / 10 mL of product.

Top Right: TRESemme Split End Shampoo and Conditioner. Both contain 1 fl. oz. / 29 mL of product. 

Bottom Left: Neutragena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70. Contains 1 fl. oz / 29 mL of product.

Bottom Right: Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub. Contains 1. oz / 28 grams of product.

A sample of Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait. 

Coupons:

• $1 off Aveeno skin care item
• $1 off with purchase of two Garnier Fructis hair care items
• $1 off Neutrogena sun care item
• $2 off with purchase of two CoverGirl cosmetics items
• $1 off Jergens moisturizer (8 oz. Crema. 16.8 / 26.5 Shea Butter. 21. oz Soothing Aloe)
• $1 off L'oreal Colour Riche lip or nail cosmetics item
• $2 off Nivea body skin care item (Skin firming moisturizer Q10 Plus. Sun-Kissed Beautiful Legs moisturizer. Sun-Kissed Radient Skin Lotion. Good-bye Cellulite gel-cream. Good-bye Cellulite serum.)
• $2 off Olay facial skin care item
• $1 off with purchase of two hair care items (Head & Shoulders. Herbal Essences. Pantene. Aussie.)
• $2 off Pixi designer cosmetics item
• $3 off Revlon cosmetics item
• $1 off Rimmel London bronzer powder
• $1 off TRESemme hair care item

Haul: Thrift Store Shopping!

I went to a thrift store recently and a bought a pair of heels and some ties. 

I bought 10 ties for $5. 

These three ties are my favorite out of the ten.

I don't wear heels that often, but I've been looking for the perfect black heels that are not super tall. I can barely walk in heels and so I want to be as close to the ground as possible while still wearing some kind of heels. 

The heel height is about 1-2 inches. The shoes are made out of a black satin cloth material. I bought these for $8 and I am about a size 6-6.5. They didn't put an exact size on the shoes. 

Here's a bonus picture -- my dog ran over while I was taking pictures of me wearing the shoes. 

** I bought everything with my own money.

Swatches: Lip Product Collection

I used to buy only eye products, but now I'm starting to get into lip products. I started with one red lip product and then branched out from there.

L to R: NYX Round Lipstick in Snow White. Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. NYX Round Lipstick in Circe.

L to R: Clinique Long Last Lipstick in All Heart. MAC Cosmetics Lip Stick in See Sheer. TheBalm Balm Girls Lip stick in Amanda Kissmylips.

mark. Dew Drenched lip stick in Toffee Caramel (discontinued)

Pixi Lip Blush in Purity and Love. mark Kissink in Red Siren (discontinued).

Benefit Pocketpal Benetint + Gloss

For the swatches and closer pictures of the product, click "Read More."

Review & Swatches: The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex Eyes Eye Shadow in PP404

The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex Eyes eye shadow in PP404 contains 2.5 grams of product. It is a very shimmery burgundy/purple color. This eye shadow leans a bit red in certain lighting. 

I was looking through my makeup at home recently and I forgot I had this. There's a store near me and I bought this almost a year and a half ago. Because it was so long ago, I don't remember the exact price and the online website doesn't state the price. I believe it is about $8. 

The name is a play on "Mix." The eye shadow itself can pop out of the packaging and be put into a custom-made palette that The Face Shop also sells. The eye shadow is not magnetic and instead "clicks" into the rectangular spot the eye shadow lays in. It is very simple to pop out. The single eye shadow packaging has a small window where the color of the eye shadow can be seen. I personally love the packaging and think it is adorable. 

PP404 is soft, but there isn't a lot of fallout. The color is a bit sheer and it is buildable, but not buildable enough to be fully opaque without looking too powdery. My complexion is a medium skin color with yellow undertones. This eye shadow may not look true to pan on me because of my skin color. I wore this eye shadow with a primer and it does show up a bit more. When I tested this product, I wanted to wear it without primer to just test the product itself. 

The color does not stay as vibrant compared to when first applied as the day goes on. Near the end of my day, it does look like a burgundy shimmer across my eyes, but it is just that. It becomes shimmer. 

I would not recommend this to people who do not like a lot of shimmer and those who are older. I have to pair this up with other matte colors because I do not love a ton of shimmer. Otherwise, it is a really nice color. 

Click "Read More" for swatches, my final thoughts, and other details!

Shopping the Stash!

I've been reading beauty blogs lately and some of them mentioned "Shopping the Stash," which basically means taking some products out of all of your products and using it. I've started to accumulate more beauty products than I can normally use and so I want to choose a few products and continuously rotate them out to use more of the things I have. 

Top row L to R: DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum. L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe. Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter

Bottom Row L to R: Benefit Pocketpal Benetint + Gloss. Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara in Very Black. Too Faced Shadow Insurance. MAC Cosmetics Lipstick in See Sheer. Inglot Freedom Eyeshadow in 112R and AMC 55. Liquid Eyeliner by Barry M (Black).

Bottom Right: Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream

I have all of my stuff in a drawer in a storage thing I got from Target. I don't wear foundation and so that's not in my drawer. I want to finish my Dr. Jart+ BB Cream samples though.

Click "Read More" to see more pictures and descriptions of the products!